This set has three small, flared baskets made to hold spare toilet paper rolls on a narrow wall board. Each basket has a firm single crochet base, a band of openwork double crochet spokes that fans outward, and a soft scalloped rim. With the roll sitting inside, the rim looks a bit like a crown.
The sample is worked in a deep teal worsted cotton. Teal looks good against pale tile and natural wood, but any solid color works. Cotton is the best fiber here because it holds its shape and stands up to bathroom humidity.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. Each finished basket is 5.5 in (14.0 cm) long and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide at the base, 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall, and about 7 in (17.8 cm) across the top opening. It holds a standard roll of 4.5 in (11.4 cm) diameter and 4 in (10.2 cm) height, with about 1 in (2.5 cm) of the roll showing above the scallops.
Each basket is worked in joined rounds from the bottom up. You start with an oval base, turn the wall with a back-loop round, work four solid rounds, then three openwork spoke rounds, and finish with the scallop edge. You make three baskets and then fix them to a board. The baskets are never crocheted together.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished basket size: 5.5 in x 3.5 in (14.0 x 8.9 cm) base, 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall, about 7 in (17.8 cm) top opening
- Skill level: Easy to intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 3 identical baskets
- Layout: One vertical column on a wooden board, staggered left, right, left
- Piece size: 56 sts around the base and solid wall, 16 in (40.6 cm) around
- Size before border: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall, about 19 in (48.3 cm) around the top
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) scallop edge
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth worsted weight cotton or cotton blend, about 180–200 m per 100 g. Don’t use acrylic, which goes floppy and won’t hold up a roll. Skip very soft, loosely plied cottons too, because the spokes will stretch.
- Teal: 70 g (about 130 m) total, enough for all three baskets. Each basket uses about 18 g (32 m), so plan on about 23 g (43 m) per basket.
These quantities include a margin of about 30% for your gauge swatch, yarn tails and small differences in gauge.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 1 stitch marker
- Scissors and measuring tape
- Wooden board, about 3 in x 24 in (7.6 x 61.0 cm), plus wall hardware
- 6 small round-head wood screws with flat washers, 2 per basket
- Spray bottle and pins for blocking
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rnd – round
Special stitch – Scallop: Work 7 dc into the same ch-2 space.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked firmly. A dc round measures 0.5 in (1.3 cm) high.
The fabric needs to be firm, so go down a hook size if your sc gauge is loose. Make one complete basket first and test it with a roll before you start the other two.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 4: base measures about 4 in x 2 in (10.2 x 5.1 cm).
- After Rnd 7: base measures 5.5 in x 3.5 in (14.0 x 8.9 cm), 56 sts, 16 in (40.6 cm) around.
- After Rnd 11: solid wall stands 1 in (2.5 cm) above the base.
- After Rnd 14: basket is 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall and flares to about 19 in (48.3 cm) around.
- After Rnd 15: basket is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall.
Too big? If the base is over 5.75 in (14.6 cm) long, change to a 4.5 mm hook. Don’t leave out rounds, because the stitch count has to stay at 56.
Too small? If the base is under 5.25 in (13.3 cm) long, change to a 5.5 mm hook, because a roll won’t fit. Also change to a 5.5 mm hook if a roll won’t slide into the finished basket.
Pattern: Basket (Make 3)
Work in joined rounds and don’t turn. On sc rounds, the ch 1 at the start doesn’t count as a stitch. Join every round with a sl st to the first st.
Oval Base
Foundation: Ch 10.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 7 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the chain: sc in next 7 ch, 2 sc in the same ch as the first sc. Join. (20 sts)
Rnd 1 has two ends of 3 sts each and two sides of 7 sts. The first st belongs to the far end, which is why that end gets increases at both the start and the end of each round.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, inc in first st, sc in next 7, inc in each of next 3, sc in next 7, inc in each of last 2. Join. (26 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc in next st, inc) once, sc in next 7, (sc in next st, inc) 3 times, sc in next 7, (sc in next st, inc) 2 times. Join. (32 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, (sc in next 2, inc) once, sc in next 7, (sc in next 2, inc) 3 times, sc in next 7, (sc in next 2, inc) 2 times. Join. (38 sts)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, (sc in next 3, inc) once, sc in next 7, (sc in next 3, inc) 3 times, sc in next 7, (sc in next 3, inc) 2 times. Join. (44 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, (sc in next 4, inc) once, sc in next 7, (sc in next 4, inc) 3 times, sc in next 7, (sc in next 4, inc) 2 times. Join. (50 sts)
Rnd 7: Ch 1, (sc in next 5, inc) once, sc in next 7, (sc in next 5, inc) 3 times, sc in next 7, (sc in next 5, inc) 2 times. Join. (56 sts)
Every round adds 6 sts, 3 at each end. The straight sides stay at 7 sts, which keeps the base oval. Check the base against the Rnd 7 measurements now.
Solid Wall
Rnd 8 (turning round): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around. Join. (56 sts)
This round leaves a ridge of unworked front loops on the outside, and the wall turns up sharply along that line.
Rnds 9–11: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (56 sts)
You now have four solid rounds, 1 in (2.5 cm) tall. This band carries the weight of the roll, so keep your tension even and firm.
Openwork Spokes
Rnd 12: Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 1, skip next st, dc in next st, ch 1, skip next st; repeat from * 26 more times. Join with sl st to top of beginning ch-3. (28 dc + 28 ch-1 sps = 56 sts)
This is a conversion round. You work 28 dc into 28 existing sts, and 28 ch-1 sps replace the 28 skipped sts. The total stays at 56, so the fabric opens up without getting wider.
Rnd 13: Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 2, dc in next dc, ch 2; repeat from * 26 more times. Join to top of ch-3. (28 dc + 28 ch-2 sps = 84 sts)
The dc stay stacked on dc, and each chain bar grows from 1 to 2 chains. This is where the spokes start to fan outward.
Rnd 14: Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 2, dc in next dc, ch 2; repeat from * 26 more times. Join to top of ch-3. (28 dc + 28 ch-2 sps = 84 sts)
The spokes are now three dc tall, linked by short chain bars that give the ladder look. The basket should be 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall and about 19 in (48.3 cm) around the top.
Make All Pieces
Make 3 baskets in Teal using the same pattern.
- Teal: 3 baskets x about 18 g (32 m) each = about 54 g (96 m) used. The 70 g (130 m) supply covers this with margin.
Lay the three baskets side by side. Their heights and openings should match to within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Layout on the board (front view, top to bottom):
Row 1: [B1]|
Row 2: |[B2]
Row 3: [B3]|
Each basket overlaps the board by about half its length. Space the baskets 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart vertically, measured center to center.
Joining (Mounting to the Board)
The baskets are not crocheted to each other. Each one is fixed to the board on its own, so no stitches are added or joined between pieces.
Method: Flatten one long side of the basket against the board; this becomes the back. Put 2 screws with washers through the solid wall at Rnd 10, 2 in (5.1 cm) apart and centered on the back. Push each screw between stitches rather than through the yarn strands. The washer spreads the load across several sc.
Stitch logic: Rnd 10 sits in the middle of the solid band, with a full round of sc above and below it. Screws through the spoke rounds would pull the fabric out of shape. Screws through the base would make the wall tip forward.
Tension advice: Tighten each screw until the washer just presses the fabric flat. If you over-tighten, the sc band puckers and the scallops lean.
Size checkpoint: A mounted basket’s open front should stand out about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) from the board, and a roll should drop in without being forced.
Border: Scallop Edge
Border gauge: One scallop spans 2 ch-2 spaces. It measures about 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide along the top edge and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep.
Rnd 15: Sl st into first ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, skip next dc, 7 dc in next ch-2 sp (scallop), skip next dc, sc in next ch-2 sp, skip next dc, 7 dc in next ch-2 sp, skip next dc; repeat from * 12 more times. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (14 scallops: 14 sc + 98 dc = 112 sts)
This is a trim round worked into spaces rather than stitches. It uses all 28 ch-2 sps: 1 sc goes in 14 of them and 7 dc go in the other 14. You skip the 28 spoke dc underneath, and they show between the scallops as vertical ribs.
Per side: On a mounted basket, the front half and the back half each have 7 scallops (7 sc + 49 dc = 56 sts per half). Two halves x 56 = 112, which matches the round total.
Why the math works: The 56-st wall has 28 spokes, or 1 spoke for every 2 sts. The 28 spaces split evenly into 14 pairs of one sc and one scallop, so no space is left over at the join. Seven dc fanned into one ch-2 sp curve into a rounded scallop, and each sc pulls the edge in to make the dip between scallops.
Weave in all ends on the inside of the solid wall.
Final Blocking
- Spray each basket until it’s evenly damp but not dripping.
- Put a toilet roll wrapped in a plastic bag inside the basket to act as a form.
- Flatten the base on a towel and shape it to 5.5 in x 3.5 in (14.0 x 8.9 cm).
- Straighten the spokes so they fan out with even spaces between them.
- Pin each scallop into a round shape, with the dips lined up over the sc.
- Check that the basket is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall all the way around.
- Let it dry completely, about 24 hours, before you remove the form and mount it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each basket has 56 sts in Rnds 7–11.
- Each basket has 28 spokes and 14 scallops.
- The base measures 5.5 in x 3.5 in (14.0 x 8.9 cm).
- The basket is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall, and all three baskets match within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- The BLO ridge is clear and the wall turns up crisply.
- All round joins line up at the back of the basket.
- Ends are woven in on the inside and don’t show through the openwork.
- Screws go through Rnd 10 only, and the washers sit flat.
- A roll drops in easily and sits about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the rim.
Troubleshooting
Base cups or ripples: If it cups, check that every increase is worked as written and loosen your tension slightly. If it ripples, your increases are drifting away from the ends, so recount the 7-st sides.
Ends look pointy: This is normal when increases stack, and blocking softens it. To avoid it, shift the middle end repeat’s increase over by one st on Rnds 5 and 7.
Wall won’t stand up: Rnds 9–11 are too loose. Rework them with a 4.5 mm hook.
Spokes lean or twist: Make sure every dc goes into a dc, not into a chain, and that each beginning ch-3 sits right above the one below it.
Scallops are uneven: Check that you skipped every spoke dc in Rnd 15 and that each scallop has exactly 7 dc.
Roll is too tight: Block the basket over a slightly larger form, or remake it with a 5.5 mm hook.
Basket sags on the board: Use larger washers, or add a third screw at the center back of Rnd 10.
Care
Take the baskets off the board, hand wash them in cool water and press out the water in a towel. Dry them flat over a roll so they keep their shape.
Final Notes
Each stage of this design builds on the one before. A gauge of 14 sc per 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 56-st base of 5.5 in x 3.5 in (14.0 x 8.9 cm) that measures 16 in (40.6 cm) around. Four solid rounds add a firm wall 1 in (2.5 cm) tall. Twenty-eight spokes flare the top to about 19 in (48.3 cm) around and bring the height to 2.75 in (7.0 cm). Fourteen scallops add 0.5 in (1.3 cm), for a finished height of 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
Get the first basket right before you make the other two, and all three will match and hang neatly on the board.
Happy crocheting!